Cocketiels

Question
I just got a cocketiel given to me for my birthday last night from my nieghbor which got him from some people who were mistreating him, he bites really bad, how can I break him of that, and she was calling him fred, can I CHANGE HIS NAME? PLEASE HELP I hate to give him back but he bites so hard he break the skin. I guess where was living the kids would poke things at him. Thanks Tina

Answer
Hello Tina and thank you for your question's.

I am sorry to hear he was mistreated and became a biter because of it but at lest he is in your care now where he can be well taken care of. Yes you can change his name by the sounds of things he wasnt handled must and probly doesnt know his name anyway if you say his new name around him enough he will learn that this is his name and may even begin to mimic it! Firstly take him to a petshop or vet to have his wings clipped if they aren't already this is a very inportant part of taming anybird. Now since he bites like you say maybe you should wear a like garden glove at lest so he can't bite too hard but with a lighter smaller glove you are less likely to scare him then if you used a thick mitten. After he is clipped take him out by force daily.. now I don't mean hurt him I mean take him out in your gloved hands or a light cloth such as a dish towel, Then take him to a quite room away from his cage(he will try get back to it if he can see it and you want him to focus on you) now place him on your finger or hand and talk to him, after a bit try to pet him if he futters away pick him up and do it again... do sit down while hes on yuor hand clipped birds can hurt themselfs if they fall from too far. You can offer pieces of apple/grape/carrot/parsley or spray millet when hes on you if you do this several times daily for ten minutes each time for a week he will be handtame but may still bite and will never be like a handfed cuddley cockatiel. You could simply buy him a mate(male or female) and let them be untame together that way you can still have saved him but you will both be happy, If you want a cuddley pet I reccomend a small ahndfed bird that even iuf it is a cocaktiel is housed sepretly from this bird as the tame friendly one may go untame. Also seeing as he was sort of a rescue I'm sure hes eayting nothing but seeds for his diet take a look on www.google.ca   by typing in pelleted bird diets or something simaler and seeing what he should be fed. I reccomend a diet of 25% or less seeds, 25% fruits/vegetables and 50% pellets.

Good luck with little fred.